Reproducing design



PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES W. ASTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

REPBODUCING DESIGN.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus 1V. AsToN, a citizen of the United States,residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Reproducing Designs, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in the art of reproducingcharacters, designs and the like and more particularly to stampingprocesses for producing cards, sheets and the like intended to bereproduced photographically and projected as titles or headings inconnection with moving pictures or photoplays.

In accordance with methods hithertonn use, and with which the presentinvention is connected, the titles or headings of photoplays or motionpictures are produced by photographic processes from cards of suitabledimensions; say 10 by 12 inches or 11 by 14 inches, upon which thecharacters or design are applied by stamping. The card, which forms thebackground is black, gray or other color suitable for a background, andthe characters or designs are stamped thereon in white or yellowstampingleaf. The designs and characters to be stamped on a single titlecard may be, and frequently are, of widely varying character, from fine,almost hair lines of white to heavy masses of white through which finelines of the gray or black of the card appear.

In the processes hitherto carried out it has been necessary to use cardshaving a smooth or calendered surface, and to carefully control thetemperature of the stamping dies and the length of the stampingoperation. Even with the exercise of the utmost care in these matters atendency to blurring and irregularities at the edges of characters anddesigns appeared, these faults being magnified two to three hundredtimes in projection. Furthermore, fine lines are thickened inimprinting, and when intended to appear as dark lines in a white designor character, are completely obliterated, this necessitating the cuttingaway of lines and edges by hand to secure sharpness and clearness.

In accordance with the present invention the impressions of charactersand design in leaf upon a card can be made with clear outlines andwithout blurring or thickening of fine imprinted lines or obliterationof Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 20,

Patented Nov. 8, 1921.

1921. Serial No. 479,146.

fine lines in black imprints. Furthermore, in accordance with thepresent process cards may be employed which do not have a glossy orcalendered surface, and more particularly cards having a mat or napfinish may be used, with marked improvement in photographic results.Temperature control becomes of minor importance when the process iscarried out in accordance with the present invention, as the imprint mabe made at varying temperature, the lengtli of impression of the designsor characters being greater with lower temperatures of the imprintingdisks. Furthermore, by the use of the present invention special stampingdies are not needed, and ordinar printers type and electrotypes may beuse U 11 carrying out the present process I ap-. ply to the back of thestamping leaf a very thin coating of a dilute solution of an adhesive,preferably albumen. This solution contains a minute proportion of theadhesive material, the proportion being less than 1% and notsubstantially affecting the visible viscosity of the water in which itis dissolved. A suitable solution may be prepared by dissolving two tothree ounces of albumen, preferably a mixture of blood and e g albumen,in sixteen quarts of water. in practice it is preferred to dissolve thealbumen in one quart of water to form a stock solution, to which anysuitable preservative may be added, and to take one-half ounce (1teaspoonful) of the solution and dilute it to eight ounces for use. Thissolution is applied by dampening a sponge or cloth with it and lightlyaplying it over the back of the stamping leaf. A very thin coating ofsolution is thus provided on the latter. The solution is then allowed todry, at least until a slight tackiness is felt on application of thefinger. The leaf is then applied to the face of the card and the designor character imprinted thereon. The form used for stamping may be coldor may be heated, a shorter period of impression being required withheated dies. Thus, with type or cuts at ordinary temperature (about 70F.) pressure should be applied for about one to one and one-halfseconds. With the form at a temperature of to 120 F. the length ofimpression in ordinary job printing presses is suflicient. It is readilyapparent that ordinary presses may be used for the operation, it beingpreferred to use a heated form or to apply heating means to the form inthe press. At higher temperatures, say 170 to 200 F, amomentary-impression is sufficient. i

The impression thus produced, even from ordinary types and cuts, isclear, with sharp goutlines, and the excess of leaf is readily removed,by pulling off the leaf for example, which is removable as a Wholeexcept lror the stamped design or characters. The nap or finish of theexposed portions of the card is in no Way affected, and accidentaloverrunning of time of impression, unless very great at highertemperatures, does not affect the clearness of impression.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with thedetails of a specific example of a process in which it is embodied, itis not intended that these I details shall be regarded as limitationsupon the scope of the invention except in so far as included in thefollowing claims.

I claim 1. The process of stamping designs and the likeWhich comprisesapplying to. the back of stamping leaf a thin coating of a solution ofadhesive containing not more than 1% of adhesive material, drying it,applying the leaf to the face of a card and impressing the type ordesign thereupon.

2. The process of stamping designs and the like which comprises applyinga thin coating of a solution of an adhesive containing not more than 1%of adhesive material to the back of stamping leaf, drying it, applyingit to the face of a nap-finished card, impressing the type or designthereupon and removing the excess stamping leaf thereby leaving theclearly outlined design.

JAMES W. ASTON.

